KINSHASA: Talks in Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday between the ruling coalition and the opposition failed to reach a compromise on the political future of President Joseph Kabila, who is due to stay in power when his mandate ends on Monday.
Delegates said the talks will resume on Wednesday once the Catholic bishops mediating the negotiations have returned from a trip to Rome.
Kabila is required by constitutional term limits to step down after nearly 16 years in power. His government says it cannot organise a presidential election until 2018.
The capital Kinahasa is on edge ahead of planned opposition protests against what they say is a bid by Kabila to cling to power and it was not immediately clear what impact Saturday's announcement would have.
Felix Tshisekedi, an opposition leader, wrote on Twitter: "The discussions have failed. Congolese people, the ball is in your court! We have reached the end of our efforts."
But another opposition leader, Joseph Olengankhoy, was more circumspect, telling Reuters the talks had made "significant progress" but that more work remained to be done.
Congo has never experienced a peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960 and world powers fear protests could spark violence in the chronically unstable central African giant.
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